Most tradespeople are honest, skilled and proud of their work. But everyone has heard a horror story about a builder who took a deposit and vanished, or a job that had to be ripped out and redone. The difference between a great experience and a nightmare often comes down to a few checks before ...
There is something special about a real fire on a cold evening. But open fires and wood burners produce soot and tar that build up inside the chimney. Left alone, that build up can block the flue, push dangerous gases back into the room, or catch fire. A regular sweep is a small cost that keeps ...
Gutters are easy to forget until they overflow. Leaves, moss and silt build up over the year, especially in autumn, and blocked gutters send rainwater spilling down walls instead of into the drains. Over time, that can lead to damp patches inside, stained brickwork, rotten fascias and damaged ...
Few plants cause as much worry for UK homeowners as Japanese knotweed. It grows fast, spreads from tiny fragments of root, and can make selling or remortgaging a house harder. The good news is that it can be controlled, and with the right treatment plan and guarantee, most properties remain ...
A new bathroom is one of the most popular home improvements in the UK, and one of the most complicated for its size. In a small room, you have plumbing, electrics, waterproofing, tiling, plastering and carpentry all happening within a few square metres. Labour is a big part of the cost, and ...
Buying the kitchen is only half the bill. Once the units arrive in flat packs or rigid boxes, someone has to strip out the old kitchen, assemble and fix the new units, fit worktops, connect the sink and appliances, and finish it all neatly. That labour can cost thousands, and it is easy to ...
What does a plumber charge compared with a plasterer? Is a roofer more expensive than a bricklayer? How much more do you pay in London? This index pulls together published day and hourly rates for 25 common UK trades into one table, with the source and date for every figure, and a free CSV you ...
Electrical work is one job where you really should not cut corners. Faulty wiring can cause fires and shocks, and most electrical work in homes must meet Building Regulations. So it pays to hire a qualified electrician, and it helps to know what a fair price looks like before you call one. ...
Whether you are planning an extension, knocking through a wall or fixing a leaking roof, labour is usually the biggest single part of the bill. Knowing what builders and other trades charge per day helps you check quotes, plan a budget and spot a price that is too good to be true. ...
Plastering is one of those trades where skill shows instantly. A good plasterer leaves a wall so flat you could hold a straight edge to it and see no light. A poor one leaves ripples, trowel marks and hollow patches that show up the moment you paint. So when you are budgeting for a plasterer, ...
